The latest recording of this work, performed by the composer, is available on SENSATIONS CD.
Spirit Visions was composed after a professional meeting
in 2002 between the composer, Margaret Brandman and Sydney
organist and clairvoyant Robert Goode who was performing
at Sydney Town Hall at the time and for whom Margaret had
done a musical arrangement.
This expansive melody with lush chords was originally inspired
by the tone colours of the Sydney Town Hall organ on which
Robert performed and Margaret, through good fortune, was
given an opportunity to improvise upon.
Beginning
with the largo theme in a major key, the piece explores
several variations in tempo, rhythmic feel, mood and key,
providing topics of musical conversation for the two performers.
Following
the slow and majestic opening theme, Sections D, E and H
introduce a syncopated bass line which lends a Latin American
feel to these sections of the piece.
The Latin American harmonic element is reinforced at Letter
E where the work modulates to the tonic minor (parallel
minor). There is then a transition to the dominant minor
key at Letter G, where the mood becomes pensive before the
piece takes off at Letter H into a lively Latin American
romp. There is a final rounding out of the piece with the
return of the main theme in the tonic key at Letter I followed
by a short coda at bar 122.
On
the 17th of December 2009, the work was premiered by duo
pianists Jenny Hammond and Frank O’Brien at a concert
at the Joan Sutherland Centre in Penrith NSW.
Spirit Visions was performed again by Meriel Owen and Donna Riles at the Orange Regional Conservatorium,
in the Hear it on the Grapevine concert, on the 24th of June 2011.
The
work has been recorded by the composer Margaret Brandman
and Sydney based pianist and and jazz musician Marcello
Maio.
www.myspace.com/marcellomaio
Spirit Visions was performed by Margaret Brandman and Irma Enriquez at the Rhapsodies to Rhumbas concert on the 9th of November 2013.
AIRPLAY for Spirit Visions
Selected instances:
14th of March 2019 6.15pm FINE MUSIC 102.5 (Sydney, Australia) In the drive time program presented by Marilyn Schock
17th of February 2019 7.11am KUAT/Arizona (USA)
26th of October 2019 WCNY New York in the Feminine Fusion program SPINNING SPELLS presented by Diane Jones https://bit.ly/32QA9ju